More children are biking and scootering to school after a new bike shelter opened to great excitement at Cupernham Infant School. 

Test Valley Borough Council awarded a £1,000 Community Grant to the Friends of Cupernham Infant School towards the installation of a new bike and scooter shelter in readiness for National Cycle to School Week last week (September 23 to 27).

Cupernham Infant School's Head Teacher, Mr. Wells, expressed his excitement, saying: "We are thrilled to have our new cycle and scooter shed in place. The children were so excited to see it when they returned from the summer holidays, and it's now full every day."

The initiative, which aims to inspire students to embrace cycling as a fun, healthy, and eco-friendly way to commute was also designed to reduce traffic congestion around the school.

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Pupils at Cupernham Infant School, councillors, and head teacher Mr Wells with members of FOCUSPupils at Cupernham Infant School, councillors, and head teacher Mr Wells with members of FOCUS (Image: Cupernham Infant School)

Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC), Hampshire County Council and Cupernham Infant and Junior Schools are also encouraging parents to park at Abbotswood Sports Pavilion and walk, bike, or scoot to school.

The new shelter provides covered parking for 18 bikes and 27 scooters, replacing a small uncovered bike rack.  The improvement was driven by a parent survey that highlighted the need for better facilities, resulting in a 50% increase in bike capacity as well as additional scooter parking for use by Cupernham Infant School, Cupernham Junior school and Woodley Pre-School students.

FOCUS, a registered charity, played a crucial role in raising funds for the project through bake sales, a pre-loved uniform shop, and a sponsored walk. In addition to the £1,000 grant from the TVBC Councillor Community Grant Scheme, FOCUS received £3,000 from Sport England's National Lottery funding, which was vital in ensuring the shelter was ready for the start of the new academic year. The total cost of the project was £8,782.

Mr Wells added: “The children are always telling me that scooting is so much fun, it can be faster than walking, healthier than coming by car and it’s green – scooters don’t pollute the air like cars. A huge thank you to FOCUS, Test Valley Borough Council, and our councillors for supporting this project, and to Sport England for their generous grant.”

The new shelter has already seen a 40% increase in bike usage, with more students now using scooters as well.